How to decide on the best blender for home use

A powerful blender for home use is one of the most useful kitchen appliances. A blender is increasingly popular to make smoothies at home, blend sauces, soups, dressings, and make hummus, nut milks and butters from scratch.

Blenders come in various price categories, and with different features. That makes it harder to choose the right model and brand for your needs. With so many options available in South Africa it’s important to know what to look for to be able to make the right decision. To decide on a blender that lasts and can live up to your expectations, these are the main components that make a difference, and you’d want to consider to buy a good quality blender.

Motor - performance & durability

First and foremost the motor is key to the performance of the blender. The power of the motor determines how smooth it will blend even the toughest ingredients, including frozen fruit, ice cubes, raw vegetables, and nuts. The OmniBlend 1200W 3HP motor blends silky textures so that you can enjoy homemade smoothies like you get them from a health bar. In the long run, the quality of the motor and its design determine whether it will last: the OmniBlend motor is protected from overheating with a the thermal switch-off technology which protects it from burning out. This sets it apart from domestic  blenders that burn out once used more frequently or for heavier blends. The OmniBlend motor lasts, and is backed up by a 3-year warranty. Our models all have the same powerful motor, and the differences of the models are explained in this video.

Parts - quality & availability

The blender is usually one of the centre pieces in the kitchen, making it key to opt for a blender that is timeless. As you’d want a blender to last, it’s important to check the ‘moving parts’ of the blender that you’re interested in buying. The moving parts are the connection points between the base (the drive socket) and the jug (the jug bearing). Even the high-end (more expensive) domestic blenders often have plastic moving parts, which seize once there’s too much pressure or it’s been used to heavily/frequently. Those blenders are designed for light use, like a weekly Sunday morning smoothie and it’s the essence of why OmniBlend was founded. The OmniBlend has stainless steel parts, which make it more durable and equipped to manage heavy use. Secondly, it’s important to check whether it is easy to get replacement parts in case these parts break or wear out over time, and at what cost. Can the bearing of the jug be replaced separately or should the whole jug be replaced? The OmniBlend jugs have a blade assembly that can be replaced separately, and we stock spare jugs that are interchangeable so you can use any jug size on any model. Fashionable blenders may be discontinued (and so are the parts), making it impossible to get replacement parts. As the OmniBlend range is timeless, we guarantee the availability of any spare parts even if your blender is 10 years old. After the 3-year warranty, parts are available to order online, or can be replaced in our workshop within 24hrs of receipt without charging for labour.

Jug shape - versatility & best results

While the motor is the driving force, the jug design is important depending on what you’re using it for. The OmniBlend jugs have lids with lid caps that allow for air flow and use of a tamper stick. Air flow is important when blending hot ingredients like soup or sauces. Closed cup blenders can’t blend hot ingredients. Our commercial customers often prefer the wide base 1.5lt jugs that they use for drinks/liquids only and in particular slush and freezo-style drinks. For home use we generally recommend the narrow base design jugs as they allow for more versatility in home kitchens. All jugs are fitted with the blade assembly with 6 blades for effective blending. The narrow base jugs are tighter around the blades, making it suited for grinding dry ingredients too (like nuts, seeds, oats, and spices) and pureeing baby food, chickpeas for hummus, or nuts for homemade nut butter. The narrow base jugs also crush ice cubes to make a fantastic iced coffee at home, and blend smoothies with ice and frozen fruit, and nuts. On top of that, they’re suited for those delicious smoothie bowls and nice creams that have a thick scoopable creamy texture as you don’t have to add much liquid to an OmniBlend jug to be able to blend the frozen ingredients. The jugs are polycarbonate, making them lightweight, unbreakable, and easy to clean. Watch a full explanation of the jugs below.

Tamper - functionality & ease

Check whether the blender comes with a tamper stick. A tamper allows to do more with a blender, making it more versatile. The tamper sticks are standard included with the OmniBlend blenders and spare jugs and these tampers make it possible to blend thick textures without adding much oil or liquid. The sticks are used through the lid to push the ingredients into the blades for smooth blending of tougher textures. A healthy nice cream for example requires only 2-3 tablespoons of liquid (yoghurt or nut milk) to blend 1 frozen banana and ¾ cup of your favourite other frozen fruits to a creamy bowl that has the consistency of ice cream. With the tamper you can do more with a blender.

After Sales - peace of mind & cost-effective

Lastly, but most important: you want to be assured that you’re still happy with your purchase once the honeymoon period is over. In the event something breaks, it’s critical to be able to get the replacement part, and receive the after-sales support that makes solving the issue efficient. Product defects are covered by our 3-year warranty, which is the best warranty available on any blender in South Africa. Our after-sales service is unrivalled too: we complete repairs within 24hrs of receipt, don’t charge for labour (not outside warranty either), and charge a flat courier collection & return rate to make any servicing cost effective. We also offer a 14-day no questions asked Money Back Warranty if you’re not happy with your buy. 

Download our Buyer’s Guide or start browsing the range of models that we recommend for home use.